Spirited Away

Abandon ment ( ality ) Child abandonment  occurs when a parent, guardian, or person in charge of a child either deserts a child without any regard for the child's physical health, safety or welfare and with the intention of wholly abandoning the child, or in some instances, fails to provide necessary care for a child living under their roof. In a nutshell, abandonment happens when:           Leaving an infant on a doorstep, in a trash can, or on the side of the road           Being absent from the home for a period of time long enough to create substantial risk of harm to a child left in the home      Leaving a child with another person without providing for the child’s support, and with no meaningful communication with the child or caregiver for a period specified by statute, usually three months           Failing to maintain regular visitation with a child for a period of at least six months           Making only token efforts to support and communicate

         Abort (ion)   mission ! Foreword:   I wrote this a while ago when I ran into some pretty unpleasant reactions over abortion. If anyone reads  Chapter I  of this trilogy you’ll know I am as pro-baby as one can be. Still, I would be a hypocrite to hide behind fake good intentions if I said I don’t encourage women who want to have the last say when it comes to their lives and bodies. Considering I was pretty pissed at the moment when I wrote this, I thought about re-writing it several times. But the truth is, if I were ever slammed in the face with the same radical views displayed in such rude inconsiderate fashion, I would react just the same. So excuse the tone and nervousness in the writing. It belongs to a Mela on the edge. We all go there and it’s part of life and we are all entitled to our own beliefs, change of hearts and moodiness. Amen! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Note :  for those who feel like jumping at my throat right away I r

Mother hood ( ing )   away from it. Saying  No  to the Essential. For the longest of times I wanted to be a mom. So much so that somehow in my mind, ever since I was a young girl, children meant more to me than the father, the marriage, the household. More than me. It was and still is so deeply rooted in my being that there are times (sometimes a whole friggin’ year!) where I miss their presence in my life enormously. Not wanting to have children has never crossed my mind. I always believed that marriage by default implies having children. I always believed that if the times are right and I have the maturity, proper environment and financial power to have a baby, I’d do it in a blink of an eye. Babies to me are the quintessence of life. The unbreakable bond. The ultimate legacy. They are my greatest achievement because I believe they will be great and amazing. And most importantly, the one single creation that I leave behind of endless worth and value. I have no clue wh